Improvement in dies for swaging pistol-frames



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. BILLINGS, YOF WINDSOR, VERMONT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,885, datedAugust '7, 1866.

To atl whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHARLEs E. BILLTNes, ofI/Vindsor, in the county of Windsor and State of Vermont, have invented new and useful Im-v provem ents in Forgin gPistol and Rifle Frames; and I do hereby declare that the following is' a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, rwference being had to the accompanying' drawings, forming part of this specification. Y

This invention relates tothe manner of iinparting to the ordinary blank forms from which pistolframes are produced the necessary shape to receive the handle and breech cylinder or piece of the pistol; and it consists in construct ing the forming-dies with cavities and cnttin gfaces, formed as hereinafter described, so that the metal displaced by the cutting-edges will be forced into Vthe scrap-pieces, which are removed, and smoother edges and a better finish will beimparted to the frame.

Figure l is a perspective View of one set of dies, which I denominate the formers, opened from each other, showing the blank placed and struck up or stamped therein; and Fig. 2, a similar view of the other set of finishing-dies, also showing the blank still further struck up or stamped; and Figs. 3 and 4, transverse sections of Figs. l and 2, with the die-blocks closed or shut upon each other.

rlhe metal plate of which the pistol or rifle frame is to be made or struck up is first formed of the proper shape upon and around its whole periphery or extent, and of the requisite thickness as now ordinarily practiced, and which does not constitute any portion of the present inven tion; after which it is placed in the lower or fixed die, a, of the two forlners a and b, as plainly represented in Fig. l, both of which formers are made of the same shape, and have suitable projecting pieces c, with rounding' edges, to form or strike up the recesses f and g in both surfaces of the blank, the former of which,f, is at the point ot' the frame or blank where the breech-cylinder is to be inserted, while the latter, g, prepares the blank to be cut out at the proper point for inserting the operating devices of the pistol.

Within each surface of the two formingdies before referred to, and at corresponding positions thereof, are. similar-shaped semicircular depressions h h, into which', in conse qucnce of the rounded edges of the projection o of each former, the surplus metal in the forming of the recesses f is forced, as 011e die is dropped with sufficient pressure upon the other, thereby imparting to the blank the requisite bulging shape at the point r, which comes against or back of the rear end of the cylinderbreech to protect it from injury, as is apparent without further explanation.

' The blank thus stamped is then placed in the iinishingdies m and n, corresponding in shape t0 the formers, with the exception that in lieuof rounded edges upon the projecting pieces thereof, theyare made sufficiently sharp that as one die is dropped upon the other` With the requisite force it shall cause therecesses to be so cut as to be trimmed and made ready to receive the devices constituting the pistol intended t0 be placed therein, as is well known to all con versant with the malflufacture of lirearms.

The finishing-dies, in and between their cuttin g'edges, are made hollow or concave, as plainly shown in Fig. 4, at t, so that when the two dies come together the metal contained in the pistol-frame block, between such cuttingedges, will be worked thereby into the concavities of the dies, thus permitting them to come more closely together, and correspondingly cut deeper into the 1netal than would be possible were the dies formed in any other manner. In this way the metal can be punched or cut out to such a thinness by the dies that when the frame has been removed from the dies a slight blow from a hammer will sever the center portions from the frame, as is obvious, the importance of which is manifest.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Y The cutting-dies herein described for form'- ing pistol and riie frames, formed with vcavities c c, and otherwise constructed as specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 7th day of June, 1865.

`GIIARLES E. BILLINGS.

Witnesses:

ALBERT W. BROWN, WM. DEAN OVERELL. 

